Design Thinking in Healthcare UNMC Guideline (DTHUNmC)

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Innovation
• Human-Centered Design
• Problem-Solving Methodologies

Background:

• Design Thinking is a popular problem-solving approach characterized by collaboration, empathy, and rapid idea testing.
• Existing literature on Design Thinking in healthcare lacks standardized reporting, hindering evaluation of intervention quality and applicability.
• Disparate reporting formats make it challenging to assess the usability and relevance of published Design Thinking interventions in health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a standardized reporting mechanism for Design Thinking interventions within healthcare.
• To address the variability and lack of clarity in published accounts of Design Thinking in health.
• To create a guideline that facilitates consistent documentation of human-centered design processes in healthcare.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search identified 870 references, narrowed to 255 relevant articles on Design Thinking and Health.
• Information extraction from selected resources was combined with expert consultation and internal experiences.
• A 22-item guideline, the Design Thinking in Healthcare UNMC (DTHUNmC) Guideline, was developed based on the gathered information.

Main Results:

• The developed DTHUNmC Guideline comprises 22 criteria for reporting healthcare-based interventions using Design Thinking.
• Each criterion is supported by published examples from recent literature to illustrate its application.
• The rationale behind the inclusion of each criterion is clearly explained within the guideline.

Conclusions:

• The DTHUNmC Guideline offers a standardized framework for reporting human-centered design work in healthcare.
• This guideline aims to improve the clarity, consistency, and comparability of Design Thinking interventions in health disciplines.
• The guideline provides a foundation for consistent reporting and potential exploration of its applications in healthcare settings.